


21st Century Life

by darcie



Category: Newsies (1992)
Genre: M/M, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-13
Updated: 2015-02-05
Packaged: 2018-02-17 04:56:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2297360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darcie/pseuds/darcie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One day, David and Jack just randomly walk into the year 2014. Now they have to deal with the cultural differences between the year 1900 and the 21st century as well as their feelings for each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Anyone watching that day would probably say that they must have accidentally looked away. It was impossible that one minute two boys were there and the next they were gone. It was easier to try to explain it away then accept what they had seen. It the evening, two boys walked together. They were speaking in hushed voices, and no one could hear what they were saying. It looked like one was trying to explain something to the other, who looked thoughtful and interested. No one can really say for sure, though. And there were _onlookers_. People who recognized the boys, had seen their picture in the Sun, and later in other New York City newspapers. They were leaders of a revolution, the key to the divide between the city's businessmen and the common folk. 

Onlookers won't admit to it, but they saw those boys talking. And then they saw those boys disappear into nothing. 

 

o O o O o O o O o 

 

All they had were the clothes on their backs as they wandered down the streets of Manhattan. 

At least, David thought it was Manhattan. He recognized it, sort of. But new buildings had been built, and they had increased in size, shooting up toward the sky. There were lights flashing everywhere, lights that had been terrifying an hour ago. They were still strange, still a bit scary, but David had managed to calm down. Jack had been eerily calm throughout it all. 

The initial panic set in the moment they took a step and David bumped into someone strange. The person was a woman, or at least, might have been a woman. She looked like one, but wore a glittering, tight dress, one that only went close to her knees. And when David bumped into her, she said in a male voice, "Excuse you!" 

David had never known or seen anyone like her. 

Beside him, Jack's eyes were wide. David didn't usually see Jack stunned, but this must have been a special occasion. There was something about this person that told them they weren't where they were supposed to be. 

And after the person walked away, David and Jack both looked ahead. That was when they saw they had taken a step into somewhere they didn't belong. Not everyone was dressed like that woman, but no one wore clothes David recognized. There were glittering signs that David could swear hadn't been there last time he'd been here, just a few hours ago. 

That was when David started to panic. 

"We're lost. We're lost. We're in Bohemia and we're _lost_." He turned to Jack, who clearly didn't know how to handle this side of David. David always seemed so rational and calm, but something was very, very wrong. 

"Bohemia." Jack repeated the word, confused. 

"We have to be. We walked too far, or…"  

"I don't think-" 

David took off running in the direction they'd come in. He'd go home, talk to his family, ask them about this place.  

Jack caught up to him, and grabbed David's arm, stopping him. David tried to calm down, standing there for a moment with Jack holding on to his arm. They stood together as men and women in dark outfits walked past, holding small boxes to their ears and talking to themselves. David felt some kind of safety in Jack's holding on to him. He wanted more than this one touch. He always did, even though he never said that to Jack. Jack had been with Sarah for the past few months, and David had tried to deal with that. But sometimes Jack would touch him, and David would feel hot all over. It started when they met. But right now, the touch steadied him. 

Eventually, they found somewhere to sit, a bench they weren't sure they were allowed to sit on but did anyway. David stared _everywhere_. Everything was bigger, flashier, and more confusing. 

"We need to understand the facts." Jack said, sounding very much like David in that moment. David just nodded. "We were walkin', you were talkin' about some book, and now we're here." When David gave him a look, Jack tried to smile. "I'm not sayin' it's your fault, I'm sayin' that's what happened." 

"It's _not_ my fault for talking about a book." David said. They had been talking about _Treasure Island_. David had just read it and tried to explain it to Jack, because if Jack read books it was the kind of book he would like.  

"But now we're here. We ain't in New York." 

"Jack…" David looked into the distance. Most everything was different, but he saw a building he recognized. It sent a sinking feeling to his stomach. "I think this _is_ New York. That was exactly where we were supposed to be walking. But… we're here now. I think it might be the future." 

"That's stupid." Jack said, leaning back on the bench. 

"Yeah?" David asked, standing. "I'll find out." 

He waited until someone passed by who looked friendly. It was some middle aged woman with a small dog. He stepped in front of her. "Excuse me, m'am, but what year is it?" 

At first, she stared at him with wide eyes. She looked at how David was dressed, and how out of place he was. Then, her face lit up in delight. "Are you in a play?" The dog yipped. 

"Ummmm…" David looked over to Jack, who didn't seem sure of what to do either. 

Jack came over, and put an arm around David's shoulders. "Yeah, we're in a play. In the play we're from 1900, but what year is it now?" 

"Is quizzing people part of your play? So it's interactive, like _Hair_?" 

David had no idea what _Hair_ was, so he just said, "Yes." 

"Alright, I used to be an actress myself. I was even in _Bye Bye Birdie_ once. It was a community play, really small, right outside the city-" 

"M'am." David said again, interrupting. "Please? Can you tell us what year it is?" 

"Oh, right! I'm sorry. Sometimes I just go off on tangents… never mind that. It's 2014, dear." 

2014. 

It was 2014. 

David and Jack turned to each other at the same time. David whispered. "2014." 

They had traveled one hundred and fourteen years into the future, just by walking there. 

David muttered a quick thank you, and then he and Jack took off. 

 

 

 

It was starting to get dark, but they kept walking. David recognized some street names, but it felt like most everything had changed. He couldn't believe they'd somehow disappeared in 1900 and walked right into 2014. There had to be some key to it. Somewhere they stepped wrong. Maybe a certain corner of a certain part of the ground. It was impossible that they'd just ended up here randomly. Maybe people from 2014 knew how to travel through time. Maybe they had purposefully brought them here to ask them… about what? About _what_? The strike? Why would someone want to scare them that much? And most important, how would they get back home? 

Jack seemed lost in his own thoughts, but suddenly stopped in front of an unfamiliar building. He looked up at large stone sign. David looked too. The _New York Public Library_. It was huge. 

"Didn't you say once that they were buildin' this?" Jack asked. 

It was true. David had learned in school, and later in the papers, that wealthy businessmen had decided to build the New York Public Library. David had always wanted to visit a library, even back when he was a little kid, but had never gotten the chance. But this library… they had been building this library in 1900. They had started in the mid 1890s. And it was here. It was _still_ here. 

"Do you think we can go in?" David asked. "Are we allowed?" 

"Says public, don't it?" Jack replied. He started up the steps, and then realized that David wasn't following him. He turned around. "Come on, Dave." 

David still wasn't sure, but Jack gave him that look that could convince him to do anything. It worked this time, too. David caught up to him, and they entered the library together.

Almost immediately, David wanted to leave. He'd barely had any time to think about how different the future would be, but he saw it as soon as he walked between two metal bars. They continued to walk through. He could see boxes in the distance, strange ones that were lit up on one side, and they all looked different. People sat in front of them, pressing buttons quickly. 

"Maybe this isn't a good idea." David muttered. 

"Come on," Jack said, tugging David's arm. 

They walked further into the library, eventually finding themselves walking between shelves of books. David might have been confused, but he knew enough to realize these books were novels. They had to walk further into the library to find actual information. 

"Davey, look at this!"  

David tore his eyes away from the shelf to find Jack holding a book. On the cover, a woman wearing an old-fashioned dress was being undressed by her nude lover. The title was _A Rogue Gentleman's Wicked Mistress_. David's face burned. "Put that back!" 

"But don't this look interesting!" Jack said, opening to the middle of the book. 

David rushed to Jack's side and looked also, just in time to read part of a very sexual scene. David blushed even more, if that was possible. "Jack!" David hissed. 

Jack closed the book and put it back, shrugging. "Where then?" 

"I… don't know." David admitted, ashamed. It wasn't like he knew anything about 2014, other than novels had turned into strange things that made his face turn red, and people now sat in front of boxes pressing buttons. 

"Can I help you?" 

They turned to find a girl about their age standing there. She held two books under her left arm, and a piece of paper in her right hand. Unlike the woman on the street David bumped into, this girl was not dressed in a sparkling dress. Instead… she wore pants! Her shirt was patterned with flowers, but… still, this was not something his sister would wear. David wondered just how much fashion had changed over the years. He had seen men in passing but hadn't had the chance to study their clothing choices very much. 

"Yeah. Got any food?" Jack asked. 

The girl looked back and forth between them, and then raised her eyebrows, probably annoyed. "You're lucky you're here during National Library Week. Come on." 

They followed her through the library and eventually found themselves in a room with a lot of cookies, crackers, and other foods spread out on a table. There were a few other people in the room, lost in their own conversation. Jack headed right to the table, but David looked at the girl questioningly. "There's really a National Library Week?" 

"You've never heard of it? I am shocked." The girl rolled her eyes. She gestured to the table. "Have it it, dude." 

David knew better than to ask why she called him dude. Instead, he nodded, and stepped beside Jack. Jack held up a cookie. "This is the best thing I ever tasted." 

David took one and ate it. And Jack was right. The flavors! They were amazing. Perfect. He took three more. 

The girl chuckled behind them. "I guess the Chips Ahoy were a good choice. I personally like Freihoffer's more. Hey… are you… stuffing them into your pockets?" 

Jack _was_ doing that. David was not. "Sorry," he said for Jack. "It's just, we're not sure when we'll be able to eat again." 

The girl looked stricken. David wasn't sure if he had said the wrong thing. 

"You don't have anywhere to stay? Where are you from?" the girl pressed. 

"We're from around here," David replied. That wasn't exactly a lie. 

"From Manhattan?" 

"Yes." 

The girl looked thoughtful. "I could try to find you somewhere. My shift is over soon, if you don't mind waiting. I have some friends that can either put you up or find you somewhere. I'd go over the details now, but they're not exactly…" She lowered her voice, "library appropriate." 

David smiled. "That would be great. What's your name, by the way?" 

"Kay," she replied, sticking her hand out to shake. 

David took it. "I'm David. And that's Jack, stuffing his face." 

Jack didn't even notice Kay leave. He finally turned around after hoarding several cookies, and asked, with a full mouth, "Where'd she go?" 

"She had to get back to work." David said, approaching him. "Kay's going to help us, since we don't have anywhere to stay. She said talking about it now isn't library appropriate. Not exactly sure what that means, but… Anyway, we're going to meet her on the front steps in an hour. We have awhile to look around if you want." 

"I was thinking'," Jack said, "If the library has lots of information, what if there are books about us? The strike, or us disappearin'? We could find out what old man Pulitzer died of." 

David had to admit he was intrigued, but would that break some fundamental rule of time travel? _Should_ they find out about the future? What if they returned home and they ruined everything by telling everyone details? Still, he couldn't resist. He nodded finally. "That's going to be the history section. I think I know where that is." 

He'd spent a lot of time before the strike reading whatever he could get his hands on. If some things were still the same, it was possible that this library used Dewey Decimal Classification. And if that was the case, all he had to do was lead Jack to the 900s. 

But it wasn't as easy as they thought. They took a lot of wrong turns, bumping into more people, most of whom looked offended by their clothes and their existences in general. The library was so huge that it took just over twenty minutes to figure it out. But once they did reach the 900s, David breathed a sigh of relief. Once past the biographies (on the way past them, David grabbed one about Pulitzer), they found a lot of interesting books about royalty, about wars, and about other countries' history. Finally, in the 974s, they found New York history. 

As they found a table to sit at, Jack nudged David. "Good thinkin', Dave. Glad you're here with me." 

David fought against the heat creeping into his cheeks and looked down. He sat at the first table they found and immediately started to flip through Pultizer's biography. "Pulitzer lived eleven more years." 

Jack's head shot up. "That old bastard lived eleven more years?!" 

"1911 is when he'll die… when he died, I mean." David said, pointing to the page, and shoving it across the table to Jack. "So if we go back, there's a chance of running into him." 

"Does the book say things about the strike?" 

David flipped through it some more, finally finding a small section. "It says, 'In 1899, a few years after Hearst acquired the _Journal_ , Pulitzer's newsboys decided to strike against paying a higher price for their copies of the _World_. This was eventually settled.'" He stared blankly at the page. The strike had been so much more than that. It had been so important. It had been everything to him just a few months ago. 

Jack sneered at the book. "That writer don't care, does he?" 

David checked the copyright date on the book. "It was written in 1994. That was a long time after the strike. And maybe there were a lot of strikes and protests after ours. I agree with you, though. What it _should_ say is that Pulitzer busted you out of prison only to jail you in a different way. It should say Pulitzer threatened me and my family to get you to join him. It should say what a bad person he was and how he wanted his newsies to starve. It should say…" 

"Dave." Suddenly, Jack's hand was on David's arm. David realized he'd been avoiding Jack's eyes. His gaze met Jack's. "It ain't worth it. We won and we know that. Guess he was a somebody in history and they see us as nobody. But _we_ know we're somebody." 

David squeezed his left hand into a fist, but then released it. He couldn't help it. Every time he thought about Pulitzer, he remembered what he'd done to all his friends. To Jack. Even though he continued to sell the _World_ after the strike, he'd avoided the subject of Pulitzer as much as possible. 

David took a deep breath and then felt his tension ease. Jack's moved his hand, much to David's disappointment. "What does your book say?" 

It was a book specifically about events in New York City in their time period. 

Jack shook his head. "Don't know yet." He continued skimming pages. Finally, he stopped. He read, and then turned the page…very slowly. "Damn." 

"What, Jack?" 

Jack turned the book around, flipping back a page. "Read the last bit there." 

"'The Newsboys strike against Joseph Pulitzer in 1899 brought about a necessary change in New York, paving the way for laws against child labor. The _New York Sun_ ran an exclusive story on the strike prior to the newsboys' win. The two strike leaders, teenage boys, disappeared just months after winning the strike against Pulitzer. It is believed that they were kidnapped and murdered, though this was never proven.'" David looked up at Jack. "I guess that's more believable than time travel." 

"Means we never got back." Jack replied. 

David nodded."At least we're not alone." 

It felt like Jack's eyes were burning into his own as he said, "Yeah. You're alright, Dave." 

 


	2. Chapter 2

Kay met them like she said she would. She was actually the first one out of the building, giving them an amused look when they emerged from the front doors. 

"We were looking at books." David said as they approached her. "A lot of interesting ones there." 

Kay snorted. "Yeah, well, it's the NYPL. Come on." 

She led them down the streets, past more street signs and more buildings that David didn't recognize. He tried not to ogle, after all, they had said they were from Manhattan. There were even signs that had trains on them, indicating they were underground. The future was getting stranger and stranger by the minute. 

Kay saw him looking at the signs and said, "I'm assuming you don't have Metrocards, since you said you don't have money for food, so why would you be taking the Subway? But if you do have Metrocards…" 

David and Jack just stared at her. Metrocards? 

"I'm… going to take that as a no," she continued, and led them away. 

Eventually, they reached a tall, tall building. On the side of it, there were signs that said the building held law offices. "This is where my friend works. He'll be down any minute." 

It was only two minutes later. A boy about their age emerged from the building and spotted Kay immediately. As he approached, David saw that the boy was kind of small in stature, but but had a look on his face like he knew everything about the world, kind of like Spot. Except this boy was Asian. "You much be Jack and David. I'm Ry." He stuck out his hand. 

Jack had the good sense not to spit on his own before shaking Ry's hand, but David could tell Jack was confused about Ry being Asian. David had seen a lot of people on the street as they walked, though, and it did make sense that there had been more immigration to America over the decades. He fought the urge to nudge Jack to snap out of it. But then Jack put on his best grin and said, "Nice to meet ya, Ry." 

"I hear you're looking for a room." Ry said. 

"A room." David repeated. 

"A room to rent." Kay explained. 

David looked at her and whispered, "We don't have any money." 

"I know," Ry interrupted. David turned back to him. "This apartment situation is… unusual. My parents own a few apartments downtown, and let me look after them, and, well… I put some people up who need it. My parents don't know, obviously. They care about the money. But usually it's only temporary, until they get jobs, get on their feet, you know? And I don't let just anyone stay… I'd just have to make it look like you're legit tenants, fill out fake paperwork, you know? There's one apartment I reserve for that and there's a room for you if you want it, because, let's face it…" He looked David and Jack up and down, "You need it." 

"How… what…" David said, surprised. "Out of all the people in New York… you're giving _us_ a room?" 

"Kay called in the favor." Ry said, shrugging. He grinned at Kay. "And obviously, I am the most whipped friend on the planet." 

 

o O o O o O o O o 

  

They did have to take the underground trains to the apartments Ry's parents owned, but Kay said she didn't mind paying for two Metrocards. David watched as she and Ry slid their own cards in a slot and stepped through a turning bar. Then Jack followed. Finally, David did it, even though he had no idea how this technology worked. 

"And these trains are safe?" David asked, as they waited for their train. Jack didn't look too worried, but he did look confused. 

"Are you sure you're from Manhattan?" Kay asked, squinting at them. 

David didn't get to answer, because the train pulled up to the platform then. Then it was a mad rush of people getting off and on the train. There was nowhere to sit when David entered the train, so he stood with his hands around a metal pole. Jack stood stood next to him, grabbing the metal just as the train started moving again. David, thankfully, was holding on tight and managed not to fall back. 

"I've never even taken a train, not even above ground." David whispered to Jack. 

"I almost did that one time." Jack replied. He smiled. "But I only took a train when I was little once…with my mother." 

David felt his eyes widened. Jack never talked about his parents. Never talked about his life as a child named Francis. Jack's features had softened at his own memories. David thought he looked handsome like that. David got an idea then, one that he probably shouldn't have even considered. But their fingers were close enough that he could call it an accident if Jack was offended. David moved his hand up a little until his thumb brushed Jack's pinky. 

Jack froze. He gave David a questioning look, but didn't pull his hand away. 

But then Ry and Kay were there, rushing them out of the train a moment later, and David was no longer touching Jack's finger. Instead, they followed these two strangers until they reached the apartments. 

The one that Ry said had a room for them was pretty much, but not unlivable. The size of it reminded David of his family's own apartment, which actually had fewer rooms than this one did. This apartment had three bedrooms.

"The bathroom's there," Ry said, pointing to his left, "And there's a small kitchen nook if you want to cook anything.And then here's the room you can have." Ry opened the door to a bedroom. 

David peered into it. It was pretty empty, except for some blankets and pillows on the floor. It looked like someone had just left it.

Ry explained, "I can't give rooms to every homeless person in the city obviously, but Kay happened to text me the day after this person left. We can figure out a payment thing, since I know you have no money. You should look into getting jobs anyway, for food and stuff. And, uh, clothes." 

David looked down at his clothes. He'd almost forgotten how out of place he looked. He exchanged a look with Jack, who smirked a little at the word "food." Jack had been stealing food for years. Only out of necessity, and not so much lately because David's parents always fed him. David had seen some food stands around the city and had just figured Jack would go back to his old ways. But getting a job… in 2014... 

"We should get other clothes." David agreed. 

"That shit looks mad old anyway." Ry said. "Like, from the 1800s or something." 

Heat rushed to David's cheeks. 

"Anyway, you can probably find some things in there." Ry pointed to a closet. "There are some clothes, I think. But you're probably going to want a few more things. Stuff that fits you." 

Before Ry left, he gave David and Jack a key. Just one, and it was decided that David would hold on to it. Then they went searching through the closet, pulling out clothes that might fit them. David found a shirt and some not-too-loose trousers that he thought were acceptable, while Jack found some clothes as well. He still insisted on keeping his red bandana though, stuffing it into the pocket of his trousers so a little was still revealed.  

"Do I look like a modern man?" Jack asked with a smirk, when he was dressed. 

David had kept his eyes averted when Jack got dressed, even though Jack didn't seem to care. But now David looked him over, and then nodded in approval. "You do." And it was true, Jack had the ability to fit in during any era, it seemed. David felt extremely out of place. 

"You look alright yourself, Dave." Jack said, reaching out and putting an arm around David's shoulders. "We could be good here, you and me." 

"We should try to get back." David said automatically. 

Jack looked at him from the side. "You know that book said we never got back." 

"I know that," David replied reluctantly. "But maybe we can change it. If walking into 2014 is possible, anything has to be possible, right?" 

"Maybe." Jack said, his voice losing the hint of amusement it held. 

David didn't feel reassured. 

 


	3. Chapter 3

David knew it had been too easy. But before he had much time to think about it, there was a knock on their bedroom door. 

Jack was sitting on the floor looking at the other things that had been stuffed into the closet, so David opened the door.

Two guys stood there. One was wearing a tight shirt and even tighter trousers, a beard, and a pair of glasses with frames that seemed too large for his face. The other one, darker skinned, seemed like he could at least breathe in his clothes. David gave them a tight smile. Ry had mentioned two other boys lived here. This must have been them. They were older than Jack and David, only by a few years. 

"Hi, I'm Ollie," said the one with the beard. "And this is my husband Ben." 

David blinked, confused. He didn't want to say it aloud, but… that word. Husband. They were both men, and they were… husbands? To each other? They were married? Was that possible in 2014? 

David didn't dare turn back to look at Jack. But he heard Jack getting up and his footsteps behind him. Then Jack, not even visibly bothered by Ollie and Ben's relationship, stuck out his hand. "Jack Kelly, like to meet ya. I like your beard." 

Ollie grinned. "Thanks, man." 

"I'm David," David managed to choke out awkwardly. 

Husband. Ben was Ollie's _husband_. 

"Ry told us you need to find jobs."Ben said, looking sympathetic. "He said he and Kay would come by tomorrow but that we're supposed to help you in the meantime. A lot of jobs make you fill out applications on the computer -- department stores anyway, but do you have anything in mind? Food? There's a Subway just around the corner."

David's head spun. A computer? What was that? Subway… was that the train? David was supposed to work with food on a train? 

"You can use our computer," Ollie said. "In the meantime, we have sandwich stuff. Good ole PB and J."  

David followed them out to the kitchen nook, and Ollie and Ben started making sandwiches. David ogled them, how they worked together, brushing each other's hands on occasion. David couldn't look away because this was so… out of the ordinary. 

He wasn't sure how he could feel anything but revulsion looking at the two of them. Yes, maybe when Jack touched him in a friendly way it made his heart jump, but… he had never _acted_ on anything. That would have gotten very bad very fast. He knew it was supposed to be wrong, two men acting as a man and a woman did, but… he saw how Ben and Ollie smiled at each other, and he couldn't feel that way. 

Ollie and Ben kept going on an on, discussing things that were unfamiliar to David. Computers, again, which apparently let modern people do a lot, including talk to each other. They mentioned Skype, _Game of Thrones_ (Ollie had to catch up on the newest season, whatever that was), and Facebook. David met Jack's eyes throughout the conversation. He could tell Jack was trying to put the pieces together too. He was good at pretending he knew about everything, but David could read him pretty well by now. 

Back in their room after dinner, and after David got a minute's look at Ben's computer, they retreatedback to their room. 

"We have to find jobs on the computer somehow." David said as soon as he shut the door, tempted to say something about Ben and Ollie's relationship. Just to bring it up somehow, see what Jack thought… 

"We can learn it." Jack replied. He started messing with the blankets on the floor, trying to set them up in a way that was equal and comfortable for the both of them. David had been in worse conditions, especially during the strike. It would be fine. 

 

 

That night, they slept next to each other on the floor. Sometime during the night, Jack stole one of David's blankets. David woke up cuddled to Jack's side. Luckily, Jack was still asleep when David realized. He moved away just a moment after realizing… after lingering for two of three seconds. 

 

o O o O o O o O o 

  

They figured out how to bathe on their own, luckily. And standing in the hot shower, David once again had that thought. It really had been too easy. Kay and Ry had taken them in too easily. They had been given a place to stay and food much too easily. Everything… everything was too easy. David knew homeless boys their age and younger in 1900. Nothing was just _given_ to them. People could be pretty cruel to them. And David found it hard to believe that anything was just given to anyone in 2014. 

When David walked into the bedroom with a towel on his waist, he stopped in his tracks. Jack had bathed first and he wasn't dressed yet. Just the towel covered his waist, as David's did to him. David blinked and then looked away. "Haven't you found more clothes?" 

"I found clothes," Jack said, not even bothered. 

David faced forward again and realized that Jack was reading a newspaper of all things. 

"What are you doing?" David asked stupidly, crossing the room to find clothes for himself. 

"Trying to learn a thing or two." Jack replied, finally looking up. "It's a bunch of words I don't know. This is the president." Jack held up the paper. A dark-skinned man stood at a podium, acknowledging what David assumed was a crowd, though he couldn't see it. "Bar-rack Oh-bah-ma."  

"We should get used to seeing a lot of changes." David said. "This president, Ollie and Ben…" 

"We gotta learn about it all." Jack shook his head. Again, he was neutral about the two men, telling David nothing. 

 

  

"I found some of my older brother's clothes." Kay said, helping herself into the apartment carrying a large plastic bag. Jack had just opened the door to find both Kay and Ry on the other side. Ry followed his friend, shrugging as a way of saying hello. 

"Uh… thanks." David wasn't sure what else to say. 

Too easy.  

"Why are you doing this?" he asked. "Helping us." 

Kay just gave him a blank smile. "Who wouldn't?" 

There was something wrong. She was lying somehow. 

The problem was that he didn't feel unsafe. Kay seemed familiar to him, but he couldn't place her. She wasn't insincere, just lying about something. Something she refused to talk about. In the meantime, he and Jack had to accept her help. 

"We're going to help you become respectable and find jobs." Ry teased.  

David and Jack looked at each other. They _really_ had no choice but to accept their help. 

 

o O o O o O o O o 

 

It wasn't easy. David had no job experience that he could actually list, and he tried to explain that to Ry and Kay. Jack was in the same situation. Neither Ry or Kay questioned it. They just sat in front of the computer, and David watched as they invented resumes with fake information about past jobs. Jack thought it was amusing, but David couldn't help but worry. Would potential bosses try to contact their fake past bosses? Pulitzer was long dead, so they couldn't be honest. 

"They're not gonna care if you apply to fast food places." Kay said, sure of herself. "Both Ry and I know people who can recommend you if we ask." 

It was strange, and a bit shady, this whole thing. 

Then they split up. Ry and Jack left the apartment, and Kay and David soon left as well. They walked around the neighborhood, looking for random places to apply. They filled out a few applications together, Kay giving her own phone number (everyone had personal phones in 2014!) on the applications. 

"We have to get you some supplies. A cheap phone, assuming you don't have one." Kay looked to her side at David. The look she gave him made it clear she knew he didn't, for whatever reason. 

"I don't have any money," David reminded her. 

"You can pay me back when you get hired somewhere." Kay said. Then she frowned. "You are serious about staying, aren't you? You're a runaway, so I have to ask." 

David nodded, not looking at her. "There's nowhere else to go." 


	4. Chapter 4

A few days passed. Some employers phoned Kay, and Kay, who had taught David to use his new phone, phoned David. David went to speak to the potential employers, hoping he didn't sound as stupid as he felt. David and Jack each took turns trying to train themselves on Ben and Ollie's computer. David started to understand some functions, though he couldn't believe that computers were even real. And from what he had observed, Kay's personal phone was fancier than his, a much smaller, handheld computer. He wondered when these had been invented, if any of the framework had been formed in what should have been his lifetime. 

One day, after an interview in which David was pretty sure he messed up somehow, he returned to the apartment. Ben and Ollie were cooking dinner together, laughing and touching in that way they always did. Jack was in the room when he got there. 

"I don't know how to do anything." David complained, collapsing onto the pile of blankets. "But according to Kay, _any idiot_ could do the jobs I applied for. Neither of us have the right information to apply. I don't know if I can do this." 

"You can do things." Jack said, as if it was obvious. "You don't know 2014 yet, that's it. Dave, you're not even an idiot. You're _smart_." 

2014 makes me feel like an idiot." David replied, looking up at him. 

Jack sighed, frustrated, and sat next to David on the blankets. "You're no idiot. You should be doing book jobs, or writing-" 

"How?!" David burst out. "Everyone uses _computers_. I'm trying with it, but it's confusing." 

"You'll learn." Jack replied encouragingly. 

David wasn't sure about that. But he sat up, trying to calm himself. Being stuck in the future with no contemporary skills was bad, but Jack was here for him. He had to stop acting like he was alone in this. "Did you find something?" 

"Ry told me to apply to some place called McDonald's the other day, so I did. I think they liked me." Jack looked proud of himself. 

David smiled despite his own situation. "What would you do there?" 

"I gotta learn to use their computers and make food. I can bring food back for us." Jack said. "Nothin' fancy… but we're not gonna starve." 

That didn't sound so bad. Maybe everything would get better. 

And for some reason Jack was staring at him. David was confused. "What?" 

"Dave…" Jack began. "There's somethin' you need to know." 

David's heart leaped in his chest. "What is it?" 

Jack seemed thoughtful for a moment, and then opened his mouth. "I've been thinking there's something wrong with me." David waited for him to continue. "I ended it with Sarah before we got here." 

David wasn't sure how to respond. "How much before?" 

"A couplea days." 

He hadn't been told this. Sarah hadn't said _anything_. She'd had the opportunity to tell him; it wasn't like he hadn't asked how her day had gone that one evening. But she had seemed perfectly alright. "So you stopped courting her. Why? Did she want to end it?" 

Jack shrugged. "I… There's… It's about you, Dave." 

"Me?" 

"Yeah, you." Jack suddenly lifted his hand up and gently placed it on the back of David's neck. "And it's been causin' trouble for me because I don't want… I'm not supposed to…" 

"Be like them?" David finished, signaling to the room across the hall. Ben and Ollie's room. David still couldn't grasp the fact that they were _married_. That two men or two women could have a ceremony just like everyone else. "But people in our time were _wrong_." 

Jack was hesitant. He nodded, but wasn't his usual confident self. But he looked at David, and David stared back. He had a feeling that they were both thinking the same thing. 

So tentatively, David moved closer to Jack. Closer and closer, until his mouth hovered just above Jack's. And Jack didn't stop him. He looked both nervous and looked intrigued. "Jack, I've wanted to kiss you for a long time." 

So David did it, closing that small gap between them. Kissing Jack wasn't how David expected it to be. It was _more_ than he expected. Once Jack came to terms with it, he gave the kiss everything, pressing hard, his hands moving all over David, unsure of where to finally land. David didn't care where Jack's hands were, as long as they were on him somewhere. This was perfect. Jack was perfect. 

The kiss ended too soon. When Jack pulled back, he was a bit dazed and still a little hesitant. Finally, he mustered up some words. "I wanted to do that for a long time, too." 

Jack's confession was so sincere, it knocked the air out of David. David wasn't sure how to react. He wanted to jump up, yell something joyful. He wanted to kiss Jack again. He wanted to… he wanted to just be here. He said, "Since I met you, Jack. I didn't realize it that first day. But I realized it right after." 

Jack opened his mouth to respond, but then there was a knock on the door. Ben's voice sounded through, "Hey cuties, who wants some delicious Barilla rotini?" 

 

o O o O o O o O o 

 

 

David observed Ben and Ollie as they all sat in the living room eating the rotini. He knew that every queer couple had to be different than each other, and he had grown to like Ben and Ollie over the few days they'd been there, but they were so romantic with each other. They always called each other sweet nicknames, sometimes ones that were unconventional, like Beardy-face, Ben's nickname for Ollie. David's gaze went to Jack while they were all eating too. He was just staring into his bowl, looking unsure. He was usually great with people, very charismatic. He must have been nervous after what had just happened. 

"How long have you been married?" David asked the couple suddenly. 

"A year and a half!" Ollie said with a grin. "The best year and a half, in my opinion." 

"So sweet." Ben said, kissing Ollie's hairy face lovingly. Then said, "We weren't together too long before we got married, but when you know, you know." 

When you know, you know. David's mom had told him something similar once. Of course, it had been about girls. She'd said that David would know when he found the right girl. It would feel like something had just fallen into place. The problem was, he had felt that when he met Jack. 

"Of course, our friends tell us we're crazy." Ben continued. "They're all about having fun and meeting guys on Grindr. But everyone is different. I met Ollie and knew there wouldn't be anyone else." 

David managed a smile. "That's really nice." What was Grindr? 

Jack stood up then awkwardly. "Sorry, I gotta go to bed." 

David watched Jack retreat into their room and then turned back to Ollie and Ben, who looked at him questioningly. David just shook his head. He had no answers for them. 


	5. Chapter 5

David received two phone calls the next day, after a night of silence since Jack fell asleep early. 

The first phone call was Subway, which David had learned was a sandwich shop. He had applied to a custodial position and they wanted to interview him. He thanked them, but when he hung up he sat there on the floor and contemplated how he was going to make himself sound interested in this job, especially because he wanted to write instead. 

The second call was from Kay, who had decided to invite David to a party. It would take place later that evening. 

"It's not gonna be, like, a rager or anything… probably… but there probably _will_ be some bad techno. It's just what my friends are into." she said, laughing.

David raised his eyebrows. Techno? 

"Um, sure." David told her. "I'll bring Jack." 

"Well, obviously you're bringing Jack! Ry and I will come get you around eight. We'll all go together." 

The phone call ended, and that was the moment Jack came back into the bedroom. He'd just showered, and looked really good right now. David watched as Jack crossed the room. 

"You're starin'." Jack said nonchalantly, sifting through his clothes. 

Instead of confirming or denying the accusation, David said, "Kay called me and invited us to a party tonight. I guess she really wants us to be part of her group or something. Anyway, I told her yes. That okay?"  

"Yeah." Jack replied. 

David frowned. Jack hadn't really said much since they'd kissed. Had he done something wrong? They'd both admitted they wanted to kiss each other, that they probably wanted more than that. Why was Jack suddenly acting awkward. He was always happy and charismatic unless something was really wrong. 

"Are you okay?" David asked, trying not to sound too pushy about it. 

"Christ, Dave, I'm fine!" Jack snapped. He didn't even look at David as he pulled on some clothes and left the room, shutting the door and leaving David to stare after him. 

 

 

But later that evening, Jack was all smiles as they opened the door to let Kay and Ry into the apartment. He was really friendly to them, and even managed an awkward smile in David's direction as they left for the party. 

This time, Jack and David managed to use their Metrocards on their own, which was a small achievement. When David swiped his own card and stepped through the gate, he looked up at Jack and met his eyes. Jack nodded encouragingly. Only the two of them could appreciate what a big step into the future this was for them. And whatever was going on in Jack's head, he was as supportive as he'd always been. He was just going through something, which David could understand. He just wished Jack would talk to him. 

When they entered the party, it was nothing like David had imagined. The music… it was loud. It was _noise_. David had always been a fan of stage performances and that type of music, like the songs Medda would sing every night. But this… David couldn't even figure out what types of instruments were in the music. All David knew was that he really wanted to cover his ears. What kind of garbage was this? 

And Jack wandered off. Jack _actually_ wandered off somewhere. David searched the crowd of people dancing (in a much different way than David had ever seen before) before he finally spotted Jack at the food table with a drink in his hand. He'd started talking to a pretty blonde girl, who smiled at Jack unsuspectingly. 

David felt his blood run cold. What exactly was Jack trying to do? 

Did he decide he didn't want David anymore? 

Before he could stop himself, David wedged his way through the crowd and finally reached Jack and the girl. "Jack, I need to talk to you." 

"You can talk to me later. I'm talkin' to, uh…" He looked at the girl for her name. 

"Flora," the girl replied, grinning. 

"Flora. I'm talkin' to Flora right now, Davey." 

"Jack." David said as sternly as possible. Possibly the harshest way he'd ever said Jack's name. It made Jack stop smiling, and David immediately felt sorry about it, even though Jack did owe him some kind of explanation. The urge to tell Flora that yesterday Jack had kissed him was on the tip of his tongue, but he knew that was wrong. 

Somehow Jack must have sensed it. David watched as Jack sighed and gave up, turning to Flora and telling her he would find her later. She said that she'd be counting on it, and disappeared into the crowd. 

"What are you doing?" David asked, trying not to sound angry. 

The music, which had quieted, suddenly got loud again when David spoke. 

"I can't hear you!" Jack pointed to his ears. 

 _Fine_. David stepped closer. Close enough to kiss Jack. He saw Kay and Ry out of the corner of his eye. They were talking, but they weren't standing as close together as he was with Jack. How they could hear each other was beyond him. 

"What are you doing?" David asked again, this time louder.

"Look, Dave…" Jack said. Somehow he spoke more quietly than David, but David heard him perfectly. "What we did yesterday was… We ain't doin' it again. So you need to give me space to get over it." 

 _It_ being the kiss and probably David as well. 

"You can't be serious!" David burst out. Suddenly he didn't care. He didn't care where they were. He didn't care _when_ they were. He just had to get through to Jack somehow. He _had_ to. If he didn't, there was nothing here for him. He looked around and realized that Kay and Ry's eyes were on them, and he tried to lower his voice, tough as it was. "Jack, you agreed to come here with me, and now you don't want me here. What is it, huh? You can't handle having me here with you? In the _future_?" He said that bit quietly. "Because now you know you're actually okay? That you're not wrong?" 

"What about this is 'okay,' Dave?" Jack asked back. He gestured to the room. "Look around ya. We're in 2014. _2014_. The boys back home wouldn't believe what we've seen. And we're never gonna see them again." 

"So stop pushing me away. You know I'm not going anywhere." David said, crossing his arms. 

"I can't, Davey." Jack replied, his eyes darting around nervously. 

David took a step back. "This isn't you talking. Jack isn't afraid of anything. Jack stands up to anyone who gets in his way. What happened to you? Seen too much of the future?" He looked behind Jack, where some show he didn't recognize played on the television. Then, for some reason, a thought occurred to him that hadn't before. He looked Jack in the eyes again. "Are you afraid that we actually will get to go back?" 

Jack didn't say anything. But the look on his face said it all. 

"And if we do, we'll handle it." David said. He couldn't believe he was talking to Jack about this. They hadn't even done much of _anything_. But at least they weren't avoiding the major issue anymore. That was progress. 

"Not if there ain't anything to handle." Jack suddenly went into avoidant mode. He pushed past David, mumbling to himself about needing something stronger than beer. 

David stared after him in disbelief. 

A moment later, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to find Kay, giving him a sympathetic smile. "You okay?" 

David shrugged. He'd have to be. It was possible that Jack was right. That somehow they'd get transported back to 1900 and all of this would be a distant memory. That they would go back to a world where they couldn't act on their real feelings without breaking all kinds of inhumane laws. 

They had been trying to figure out how to get back this whole time. But… did either of them even want to go back? David missed his family. Of course he did. But… could he deal with lying anymore? 

"That looked pretty intense." Kay continued. "You have a history with him." 

"You could say that." David replied. He and Jack were, in fact, a part of history, after all. And then there was everything they'd been through before coming here. 

"Go after him!" she advised. When David shook his head, she nudged him. "I'm serious. Go after him." 

"He's stubborn." David said. He looked ahead and could see Jack disappearing into the crowd. "He needs space."

"He obviously needs _you_." 


	6. Chapter 6

Jack was alone outside smoking when David finally found him. Well, half-smoking was more like it. The cigarette was between his lips, but he was looking up at the stars. David had no idea where Jack had gotten smokes or matches, but he was Jack. He was resourceful. 

It was a sight, Jack in these modern clothes, knowing more than he should about the world. 

"Can I bum a smoke?" David asked, walking up to him. 

"You don't smoke, Dave." Jack replied. He didn't move. 

"I could start."  

Finally, Jack looked at him. "I like that you don't. It don't suit you." 

"Jack…" David let out a heavy breath. He wasn't touching Jack at all, but his body reacted. He was hot all over. He stepped a little closer. "You know that if we went back, I still wouldn't leave you alone, right? You can't get rid of me even if you try."  

"Tell me about it. When I first met you, you were annoying."  

"And you liked it." David concluded. Jack smirked, but David continued.  

Jack finished his cigarette and stamped it out. He didn't move to go back inside, though. Instead, he stayed exactly where he was, and David was painfully aware of his presence. David wasn't sure whether to step closer or stay in his spot. It was Jack who moved closer. Not too much, though. If David hadn't been paying attention to every little detail, he might not have noticed it. 

David tried not to look away from him, but he couldn't meet Jack's eyes, as bold as he was trying to be. "I'm scared, too." 

Jack pretended not to know what David meant. "I ain't scared of nothin'." 

"Fine." David replied. Then, finally, he did meet Jack's eyes. Even though they were staring at each other, Jack was still hiding. "I'll tell you what I'm scared of then. I'm scared that I'm fooling myself. That you don't feel…" There he was. The actual Jack behind the mask he put up. "Well, that you don't feel the way I do." 

"Davey… that ain't true." Jack said. He let out a shaky breath. "You know…" 

"That doesn't mean I'm not scared. And of course I'm scared of what will happen if we go back. If we get caught, what people will say. What people will do. I don't even know if I want to go back." 

"You have a family, Dave!" Jack burst out. "You gotta to go back to them! I never had what you have-" 

"Well, we have to prepare for what could happen." David said, looking away again. Maybe he was just telling himself he didn't want to go back. He wasn't sure. "We don't know how we got here. We don't know how or if we'll get back." 

Jack didn't say much to that. Just a simple "yeah."  

David looked back at him. "I miss my family. But I have you. So I don't have nothing." 

Finally, the mask disappeared. Jack's eyes softened. He put on a tough guy exterior so often that David was used to it, but he also knew the person underneath. "Yeah, you have me." 

David stepped closer. His heart beat wildly as he took the risk. "And you have nothing to be ashamed of. Neither of us do." 

Jack only hesitated a moment longer before kissing him. 

David pressed up against him, kissing back hard. They grabbed at each other. It was what David had wanted to do for a long time, be as close to Jack as possible. He tasted like alcohol and the cigarette he had just smoked, but it was perfect. He felt Jack's tongue brush lightly against his lips, and then against his own tongue. _Oh god_. They had to get out of there, away from the party. 

It seemed like Jack read his mind.He pulled away just a little. His mouth only about an inch away from David's, he said, "Let's go." 

So they went. They tore through the streets, running as fast as they could toward their new, maybe temporary home. They managed to take the subway because David had studied the route they had taken earlier. It turned out to be a good thing. 

And when they got home, after a quick check around the apartment to make sure Ben and Ollie were either asleep or not there, Jack led the way to their room. He pushed open the door and David followed him inside. Jack locked the door once they were in there, and then they faced each other. And the way Jack was looking at him made David squirm a little. Or more than a little. 

"Take off your clothes." Jack said in that commanding Cowboy way he did so well. And David couldn't say no. He unbuttoned and unzipped his pants, letting them drop down to his feet. He kicked off his shoes. Then his shirt was on the floor. 

"The rest." Jack ordered, nodding to David's underwear. "Neither of us is gonna be scared, right?" 

David felt like he might explode, in a good way. He did what Jack said to do. 

Then Jack was on him again. He was clothed, and David wanted those clothes gone. And somewhere between kisses and gropes Jack's clothes did come off. They were skin to skin, burning into each other. David could feel how much Jack wanted him. He wanted Jack too. So much that he couldn't help touching Jack. When his hand brushed Jack's hardness, Jack bit David's lower lip. Not hard enough to draw blood, but hard. 

"Keep doin' it." Jack said. 

David did. He spit on his hand and settled it around Jack's penis tentatively. He let Jack's face tell him what to do. The more into it Jack looked, the more David did what he was doing. But then suddenly, Jack put his hand on David's and David stopped. 

"What?" David asked, confused. 

Jack licked his lips and then glanced down. "I should… I should…" 

"Should what?" 

Then Jack dropped to his knees, and then David was in his mouth. 

 

o O o O o O o O o 

 

Their pile of blankets was messed up awhile later, when they were tangled up in each other. Jack had a lazy grin on his face as he dozed. David stared up at the ceiling. He kept close to Jack because he was cold otherwise. 

David smiled to himself, too. Some of his fears were settled. There were still some worries at the back of his mind, but right now that was where they were. Jack had given him - them - a chance. Because they felt the same way about each other. 

Not that Jack was one to just declare his love in any traditional way, but David knew Jack loved him. 

Sleep came easily to him that night. 

And then when he woke up, he was cuddled to Jack, his crotch pressed into Jack's bottom. His arm was draped over Jack's side. It took one groggy moment for David to realize how close he was to Jack. He wasn't sure whether to move or stay. He wanted to stay, even though he needed to relieve his bladder. 

It was Jack who made the decision for him. Jack opened his eyes and squinted at David, half-yawning. Even that was attractive. 

"Mornin'," Jack said.

"Good morning to _you_ ," David replied. 

Jack leaned over and kissed David lazily, half mouth/half cheek and then sat up. He groaned. "We gotta get a real bed or somethin'. Even the beds at the lodging house were better than this." 

David had to agree, but he hadn't wanted to sound prissy about the lack of a bed. "Once one of us gets a job," David agreed. "We'll get something better to sleep on." 

Then David remembered the previous night. They'd left that party without telling their friends. David wasn't sure what he should do. Check his phone? 

He found his trousers in a pile of clothes that both he and Jack had worn last night, and the phone was in David's pocket. When he opened it, the screen told him there was only ten percent of battery left and that he had to charge the thing. There were also written messages from Kay. 

She'd taught him how to find those on his phone, so he pressed the correct buttons until he read. 

_You two okay???_

_Where did you go???_

_ARE YOU ALRIGHT??_  

"Kay's worried," David said. "I talked to her last night after we argued, and she told me to go after you." 

Jack read the messages over his shoulder and said, "Y'know, I've been meanin' to talk to you about Kay. She seem suspicious to you? She's givin' us all these things we need to survive and what'd we ever do for her? We never gave her nothin'. We don't even know her. I mean, livin' on the streets and in the lodging house, I know you take what you're given, but it's a lot." He pointed to the phone, "See, the messages she sent you. Ain't that obsessive to be that worried when we told her we're from New York?" 

David looked up at him. He'd put his suspicions out of his mind while dealing with his situation with Jack, but he had admit, Jack was right. "I've been thinking that too," he admitted. "It's been too easy. She gave us everything. Two random homeless people. Why not the homeless people we passed on the street last night? Because we were in the right place at the right time?" 

"We gotta talk to her." Jack said. "Tell her to come over." 

David nodded. He'd gotten the hang of messaging, or texting as Kay called it, and did what Jack said. He immediately got a reply that she'd be over in an hour. 

They went to the kitchen to make breakfast after they'd washed up a bit and put on clothes. Ollie was there with his own phone with no sign of Ben. He looked up from his phone as David and Jack walked into the kitchen. "Hey, cuties. Little loud last night, weren't you?" 

David blushed and Jack smirked, no sign that he'd ever been insecure about who he really wanted. Then again, Ollie could probably relate. 

"But Ben passes on his congratulations," Ollie continued, standing up. "And so do I." He winked at them and then sauntered to the front door, leaving them behind. 

Jack and David turned to each other and couldn't help but burst out laughing. 

 


End file.
